A new, unlikely voice has been added to the 'Free Pussy Riot' refrain: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who said on Wednesday that any more time spent in jail for the three band members would be "unproductive." The three Pussy Riot members sentenced to jail time have already served five months behind bars, before and after the trial. The Associated Press reports that they have an appeal scheduled on October 1, which — if Medvedev's comments signal the Russian regime's thinking — could mean that their release could come in a couple weeks.

Translating statements Medvedev gave at a party meeting in the city of Penza, RT quotes the prime minister as saying, "Ifeel that extending the prison time [for the band members] in this case is counterproductive. In my opinion, probation would have been sufficient punishment, considering all the time they've already spent behind bars."

Last month, three members of the brash guerrilla punk band/feminist collective were sentenced to two years in prison for "hooliganism driven by religious hatred." Their offense stemmed from their "punk prayer" performance in Moscow's historic Orthodox church Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The lyrics called on the Virgin Mary to "banish Putin.

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